Latin America

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 21:59 UTC

  Boost for cruise industry: vessels can operate casinos in Chilean waters

  

  The Chilean Senate unanimously approved this week the bill allowing cruise vessels to operate their onboard casinos while sailing in Chilean waters.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 21:14 UTC

  Mercosur countries rank poorly in Forbes’ “Best Countries for Business”

  

  Mercosur full members (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) rank poorly in the Forbes magazine annual Best Countries for Business, with the best listed, Chile and Peru, in positions 24 and 42, out of 134 countries surveyed worldwide.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 20:25 UTC

  Chile purchases UAV from Israel for border control of contraband and drugs

  

  Chile confirmed it had purchased Israeli manufactured Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) which will be used for border surveying to control contraband and drugs. However the UAV won’t be operational for at least another two years.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 20:20 UTC

  Democratic and institutional qualities have dropped in Latam since 2009

  

  Latin America managed economic and social advances since the 2009 international crisis but not in democratic or institutional qualities for the common citizen, according to a report from the German foundation Konrad Adenauer, released this week in Mexico.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 17:55 UTC

  Wikileaks head will participate, via videoconference, in IAPA assembly in Lima

  

  Inter American Press Association (IAPA) reporters, editors and publishers will hear first-hand and discuss exactly what motivated Julian Assange to release secret diplomatic cables through Wikileaks, a Web site that as a source of information has gained as many followers as detractors.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 17:50 UTC

  IPI calls for Latam authorities to protect 12 journalists that received death threats

  

  The International Press Institute warned in Vienna of the dangerous situation that twelve Latin American journalists are undergoing having received death threats, and called con authorities to take measures and avoid further killings.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 16:52 UTC

  Chavez will seize summer homes on the Caribbean to promote state-run tourism

  

  President Hugo Chavez said his government would seize private homes on the idyllic Los Roques archipelago in the Caribbean and use them for state-run tourism in the latest move to implant socialism across Venezuela.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 08:44 UTC

  Latam will try to define a common stance ahead of the G20 summit in France

  

  Latin American countries will be meeting in Uruguay in two weeks time to define a common stance on the international crisis for the coming G20 summit that will be taking place early November in France.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 08:41 UTC

  Fitch warns Latam commodity-exporting countries of a ‘hard-landing’ in China

  

  According to a new special report issued by Fitch Ratings released Wednesday, a potential 'double-dip' in the US or a hard-landing in China would have negative economic implications for Latin American countries.

• Thursday, October 6th 2011 - 08:30 UTC

  Chile expels Argentine military involved in crimes against humanity

  

  The Chilean government ordered the immediate expulsion of international fugitive and human rights violator Alejandro Duret on Tuesday. The order was given just hours after his arrest was confirmed in Talca, located in central Chile’s Maule Region.